That's What Brothers Are For
by Super Chino
Summary: If only Seth would listen to Ryan every once in a while, maybe he wouldn't find himself in these sorts of predicaments! But, today he didn't listen! One-shot.


That's What Brothers Are For

(One-shot) : D

Entering the open pool house doors, Seth whistled an unrecognizable tune and threw his skateboard on Ryan's bed. "Hey man. You look bored."

"Nah. Just…"

"I know. Bored."

"Yeah," Ryan laughed, throwing his history book on the floor. "What are you doing?" Watching Seth retrieve a can of WD-40 from his backpack, Ryan knew a bad idea was going to follow. "You're not spraying that on your board while it's on my bed," he warned.

"We're adding speed Ryan. A little oil on the wheels and I'll be lightning fast again."

"You're gonna break your neck," Ryan answered flatly.

"Oh ye of little faith! I think I've proven myself adept in boarding."

Forcing his eyebrows up and his tongue into his cheek, Ryan wasn't buying it.

"Okay, fine. So I've had a few accidents. That light pole for example. I explained to you that pole was new. I had no idea it had been put up and in the dark, who could see it?"

Shaking his head, Ryan folded his arms across his chest and allowed Seth to continue rambling.

"And that mishap at the entrance to the pier…rocks, Ryan, are a skater's worst nightmare. And you can't control rocks. They're everywhere."

"Uh huh. And that parked car in broad daylight?"

Seth paused searching his mind for a rational reason for that accident. "Yeah I got nothing for that one. That was a legitimate wreck."

Ryan watched Seth spraying the wheels…and spraying them again.

"Seth, that's enough."

"You can never have enough speed Ryan."

"Want me to get an ice pack ready? You're gonna be needing it."

Looking at Ryan with exaggerated disappointment, "I'll be just fine. Just gonna roll around on the patio and work the oil through. No big deal."

"I thought your Mom said no boarding on the patio."

"Did I miss something man? When were you inducted into Sainthood? I'm not going boarding on the patio Ryan I'm just working the oil through. Aren't you listening?"

"Whatever." Getting off the bed, Ryan disappeared into the bathroom.

When he returned, Seth was already out on the patio 'working the oil in'. Shaking his head, he stood in the middle of the pool house and folded his arms across his chest again. Seth breezed back and forth past the pool house door, lost in his own little world. Having seen enough, Ryan made his way to his kitchen to grab a bottle of water from his fridge. Just as he raised the bottle to his mouth, there was a panicked yell from the patio, followed by the sound of patio furniture being moved against its will. After that came the undeniable sound of a body hitting the pavement.

Sighing, "I knew I should have made that ice pack."

"Ryan…RYAN!"

Stepping out onto the patio revealed the scene of the latest accident. Seth's skateboard was sinking fast in the pool and Seth was lying against the base of the patio table with his legs tangled up in a lounge chair.

"Ryan I'm dying! Call my Mom!"

"You're not dying Seth, it's just a nosebleed."

"This isn't just a regular nosebleed Ryan. Look at my shirt! Nobody's nose bleeds like this!"

"Calm down Seth, your voice has gone up three octaves! You'll be fine." Helping Seth to his feet Ryan brought him back into the pool house. "Seth look up, you're bleeding on my history book."

"Ryan, take me to the hospital. It's broken. I just know it. I feel it. Actually, I can't feel it…so it's gotta be broken."

Grabbing a towel, Ryan showed Seth how to pinch his nose to slow the bleeding. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

"Wait here? My face is mangled Ryan! Where are you going?"

Shaking his head, Ryan ignored Seth and walked out of the pool house heading for the kitchen. He returned moments later with an ice pack. Sighing again, "Okay Seth, put this on."

"Ryan how can you be so mellow about this? There is no sense of urgency on your part dude!"

"Seth, this isn't that big of a deal. I know it probably hurts like hell, but you're gonna live. Keep that ice pack on there."

"Well…..who made you an authority on nosebleeds? You're not a doctor Ryan and you don't even play one on TV. What could you possibly know about nosebleeds?"

Putting his hands on his hips, Ryan raised his eyebrows and stared at Seth.

"Okay. Point made. Ryan this hurts ridonkulously bad."

"I know. Just keep the ice on. It'll get better. I'm going to go put the patio furniture back where it belongs before your Mom gets home. She'll kill you if she finds out you were boarding on the patio."

"Ryan, I wasn't boarding…I was"

"I know, I know…working the oil in. Just sit there," he instructed, leaving Seth sitting on his bed whining in pain. Just as Ryan straightened the last chair, Kirsten appeared.

"Hey Ryan. What are you up to?"

"Ah…nuthin'…just fixing the chairs. Seth had turned this one." Glancing away from Kirsten, "With his face," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear that."

"Nuthin'. It was nuthin.'"

"Where is Seth anyways?"

Keeping his cool, "You mean he's not in the house? He should be," Ryan replied innocently.

"Well, maybe I just missed him. If you see him, tell him dinner's in an hour."

"Okay." Ryan waited until Kirsten went back in the house before re-entering the pool house where he found Seth talking to himself.

"This is no big deal Seth. Ryan said so. You'll be fine. Girls like battle wounds Seth. You should crash into the patio furniture on a regular basis. Besides, broken noses are the new tongue ring…very trendy…"

"Seth!"

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to advise you that broken noses are not the new tongue ring. And your nose isn't broken. Are you done pouting now?"

"But it hurts."

"I'm running to the store…I'll be back."

"What do you mean you're running to the store! How can you even think of leaving me like this?"

"If you're gonna act like a girl, you're gonna need a dress. I've gotta get there while they're still open."

"Oh SNAP Ryan!"

Unable to hold his face, Ryan laughed out loud. He didn't doubt Seth was in pain, but all the whining and moaning in the world wasn't going to make it heal any faster. "By the way, your Mom said we're having dinner in an hour."

"Dinner? Ryan I can't sit at the table like this! Look at me!" Removing the ice pack from his face Seth revealed his wound and some new bruising. By the grimace on Ryan's face, he knew there was obviously something wrong.

"What? What is it? Is it broken? It is, isn't it? Oh my God. It's broken. I broke it didn't I? It's broken…"

"It's not broken Seth, calm down. We'll think of something. We'll eat in here tonight if we have to. In the meantime we have to do something about that shirt before it becomes a permanent casualty."

Looking down at himself, "You mean you can fix this?"

"Yeah I think so, come on."

Once they were at the washing machine, Ryan set the machine and drenched Seth's shirt with Spray and Wash before tossing it in the machine.

"How do you know what to set it on? How do you know the stain will come out? How do you know that's enough soap?"

"Seth…I got this. It's plenty soap, leave it alone. You better go get another shirt on and get out of sight before your Mom sees you." With that Ryan left the laundry room.

Seth couldn't help but think of all that blood that had stained his shirt. "I'm telling you it needs more soap," Seth mumbled, still holding the ice pack to his face. Grabbing the bottle of detergent, he tipped it, dumping a healthy amount of soap into the already sudsy water. "There. That's better."

Being as stealth as possible, Seth snuck up to his room and pulled a clean shirt over his head. He was eyeballing his wounds in the mirror when Ryan walked in with a brown paper bag.

"Going…shopping?" Seth asked swallowing nervously at the idea that was about to follow.

"No, this is your dinner attire."

"It is?"

"Uh huh," Ryan replied plunking the bag over Seth's head. "Since you didn't listen to me in the first place, and you definitely have something to hide, I'm going to have some fun at your expense."

"That's cruel Ryan."

"Yeah well, that's what brothers are for. You can look out the bottom of the bag for now, when we get downstairs, I'll give you instructions on where to walk…we'll tell your folks it's a project for school."

"I don't like this idea."

"Seth, Ryan…dinner!" Kirsten called from the staircase.

"Got a better one…like…right now?" Ryan bargained.

This was it, Seth thought to himself. Operation Brown Bag was in motion.

Ryan couldn't help but enjoy this just a little too much. Smiling, "Left…left…Seth your other left. Okay forward. Right a little…"

"What are you guys up to?" Kirsten laughed at the sight of her son wearing the brown bag.

"Um, project for school," Ryan explained, still talking Seth towards the table.

"Interesting." Kirsten wasn't sure she quite bought their story but it was entertaining none-the-less and she didn't see the harm and letting them do what they were doing.

Once the boys were seated at the table, Kirsten placed the containers of food down on the middle of the table and, while standing behind Seth, yanked his bag off his head. "Okay guys, go ahead and eat."

Ryan and Seth looked at each other in horror!

"Mom! I need that! My project!" Seth hollered, covering his face with his hands.

"Seth, you can take time out to eat. Ryan can lead you all over the neighborhood after dinner." As she set the salad done on the table, she noticed Ryan's nervousness and his need to avoid eye contact with anyone. "What's going on?" she asked suddenly. Ryan stopped chewing, however he kept his head aimed down at his plate…something was definitely up.

Turning to Seth, Kirsten took his hands and pulled them away from his face.

(GASP)! "What happened to your face?" Kirsten glanced at Ryan who was still motionlessly staring at his dish. "Ryan, did you punch him?"

Now that got Ryan's attention. "I didn't touch him! He did that to himself!"

"Mom Ryan didn't do this. Matter of fact he tried to stop me."

"Stop you from what?" When Seth didn't reply, she looked across the table. "Ryan?" she questioned in that 'Mom-tone' that meant business.

With his mouth open and his forkful of food poised right in front of his mouth, "Um…well…it was just a skateboarding…related…injury," he finally admitted.

"Skateboarding?" She looked back at Seth's black and blue face. Suddenly she was able to put one and one together and she slowly turned back to Ryan.

"Ryan…what did you say to me out on the patio?"

"I didn't say anything on the patio."

Putting her hands on her hips, "You told me you were fixing a chair that Seth had moved."

"I was…"

"Then you mumbled something that I couldn't hear and you said it was nothing. What did you say?"

Shaking his head and shrugging, "I don't…remember…what…"

"Ryan…" Kirsten warned again in a low tone.

Realizing he wasn't going to get out of this…"I said he moved it with his face."

"You were skateboarding on the patio weren't you?" Kirsten yelled, rapping Seth in the back of the head with her hand. "I told you not on the patio!"

"Ow! Mom! I wasn't boarding…exactly…I was…working the oil in."

"What oil?"

"I told him he put too much on," Ryan interjected between forkfuls of food.

"So you knew he was doing something he wasn't supposed to and you let him?"

"He wouldn't listen."

"I can't believe this. You both knew the rules."

Ryan glared across the table at Seth and shook his head menacingly slow.

Realizing the danger he was in, "Don't be mad at Ryan Mom. He tried to stop me but I didn't listen."

"Well you should've listened to him, look at your face!"

Standing up Ryan started to leave the kitchen, heading for the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Seth asked turning all the way around in his chair.

"I have to check on that other thing…remember?"

"What other thing?" Kirsten asked, concerned it was related to the first concealed episode.

Panic consumed Seth and he bolted from the table. By the time he'd caught up to Ryan, he found him standing in the hallway with his hands in his pockets, gaping at the hallway floor.

"Oh my God," Seth choked to spit out.

"What did you do Seth?" Ryan asked absentmindedly.

Wanting to know what 'the other thing' was, Kirsten hurried down the hallway and stopped next to her sons.

"Boys? Why is the hallway floor covered in bubbles?"

Kirsten asked the question so calmly that both boys could only turn their heads in her direction and question her sanity at that point.

Looking back at the incredible amount of suds on the floor. "I just…I thought…"

"Seth!" Ryan barked.

"What! I thought it needed a little more soap! So…I…"

In awe of Seth's blatant stupidity, "How much did you add Seth?"

"It didn't seem like that much."

"How much…Seth?"

Shrugging, "About a third of the bottle I guess."

Ryan's mouth fell open, as did Kirsten's.

"Oh my God," Kirsten moaned.

"I'm going to hurt him," Ryan warned, pulling his hands from his pockets.

"Alright, alright, hold on," Kirsten worried, stepping between the two boys.

"Ryan you're sixteen like me, I thought maybe…"

"I've done laundry before Seth! I told you no more soap!"

"Okay, okay guys, this was an accident! Obviously you both meant well. Let's just get this cleaned up. Seth from now on, maybe you should at least consider what Ryan has to say?"

"Yeah I think so."

"Okay. Good. So…who's going to open the door to the laundry room?" Kirsten asked.

Folding his arms across his chest defiantly, "Seth put in the extra soap, I think Seth should open it," Ryan dictated.

"Fine. I'll do it. I'm sure it's not that big of a deal."

Slip sliding his way across the sudsy floor, he opened the door. Ryan and Seth stood in horror at the sight and Kirsten broke out into hysterical laughter at the sight of suds nearly two feet high filling the laundry room.

"Mom, that's not funny."

"Oh yes it is!" Finally getting a hold of herself, "Looks like you've got your evening planned for you."

"It's not funny at all," Ryan grouched. "You had the bright idea to add all the extra soap, you're gonna clean it up!" Ryan dictated again, pointing at Seth.

"Don't get your pants in a bunch!"

"Don't get my pants in a bunch? This is all your fault!" Ryan yelled, giving Seth a shove.

"Ryan, no shoving!" Kirsten attempted to reprimand, capping her laughter.

"Don't shove me!" Seth protested, shoving back.

"You're gonna get it!"

Bending down, Ryan laid his shoulder into Seth's midsection, knocking him off balance on the slick floor and right into Kirsten. The action leveled all three of them to the floor and left them rolling around, covered in suds.

"Damn it Ryan!"

"Shut up Seth!"

"Boys! Enough! Alright, that's it! STOP!"

Their romp in the foam was interrupted by a flash, halting the war in the suds. Full of bubbles, the trio looked up and discovered they'd been caught red handed by Sandy with his camera in his hands.

"Now this is a photo for the scrapbook!" Sandy boasted.

"This is Ryan's fault!" Kirsten delegated.

"How is this my fault?" Ryan yelled back, a glop of suds perched on the top of his head.

"You shoved Seth!"

"Yeah, because he dumped a half a bottle of detergent into the machine!"

"Oh sure," Seth interrupted. "Hit a guy while he's down! I was trying to help!"

"I TOLD YOU IT WAS ENOUGH SOAP!" Ryan raged.

"Okay, guys. Truce." Kirsten had had enough of the yelling and the blaming. It was time to end this. "I, for one, am going upstairs to take a shower and rinse off all this soap. You guys clean this up and then get washed up. Don't take too long or you're going to itch from the bubbles."

Sandy watched his wife scramble to stand up on the slippery floor. Finally he grabbed her hand and was able to pull her to the mat on the floor.

Seth and Ryan stared at each other after the parents had left the scene.

"I can't believe you poured more soap in there," Ryan said again, still complaining.

"I didn't think it…well, I didn't think it would do this," he admitted.

Still sitting on the frothy floor, both boys looked into the laundry room at the mountain of bubbles and it didn't take long for Seth to start snickering. Before he knew it, it turned into a laugh he couldn't control.

As hard as he tried, Ryan couldn't hold back either. A snort of a laugh escaped, and before long, both boys were laughing uncontrollably at the ridiculousness of the entire situation.

Once again a flash lit up the hallway as Sandy made his way back down the hallway. The boys' laughter was contagious and he found himself smiling too, in spite of the of mess before them.

"Come on Ryan, one for the brotherhood," Seth requested. Raising his arm out of the suds, he offered Ryan a macho shake.

"You're an idiot you know that?" Ryan provoked, still laughing.

"Yeah I know. What can I say? That's what brothers are for."

Raising his own arm out of the foam, Ryan clasped his hand with Seth's and smiled. Turning toward Sandy the flash went off again.

"And that's how memories are made, right Ryan?"

"Yeah. That's a lot of freaking bubbles!"

"That it is. Let's get moving Buddy, I'm starting to itch!"

This was a 'funny' I had started LAST AUGUST! It's been laying around long enough! Thought I'd put it out of its misery: D


End file.
